As if driving on Thailand’s terrible roads isn’t irritating enough, the country’s Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith has just announced the cost of using the motorway from Bangkok to Pattaya by car will increase from 60 baht to 105 baht from April 19th, 2018.
This because the cost of tolls on Highway 7, also known as the Bangkok to Pattaya motorway, will be increasing all along the route as nine new toll booth areas are added.
That toll road fare price rise means a trip from Bangkok to Pattaya, or vice versa, will see an increase of 75 percent from April 19th.
It is not just cars that will see such a huge increase either, as the toll fare for six-wheeled vehicles will rise to 170 baht, and for 10-wheeled trucks will increase to 245 baht.
Not only will the cost of tolls on the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway go up, but the traffic around the Bangkok-Pattaya motorway will likely get much worse as well.
This because the average Thai will not be able to afford that large of an increase in toll road fares, and so will be forced to use the road that runs alongside the motorway.
A road that has many traffic lights along its route and is already jammed with vehicles during many times of the day, thus making the drive along it much slower than on the tollway.
With Thai roads already some of the world’s most congested, increasing the cost of toll fees from Bangkok to Pattaya by such a huge amount means from April 19th you might as well take the train.
It will be cheaper, and far less stressful.
